Coconut machine distributor wants extraction in ENB

 By EVAH KUAMIN

PEOPLE in East New Britain have been encouraged to extract coconut oil and use other related products.

Jim Parker made the encouragement during an interview with NBC ENB on Wednesday.

Parker is a long-time resident of the province who worked as an agricultural extension officer didiman from 1966 to 1970.

 He later joined the Summer Institute of Linguistics in the province.

Parker, who, through his own initiative, developed a machine that extracts oil from coconuts, is selling it at a price between K200 and K250.

Parker said the machine is used to squeeze coconut oil out from the nut after having it finely grated and dried in the sun.

He said there was also a special fabric which had been specifically made for squeezing the dried grated coconut to extract oil.

The special fabric is going for K10 which Parker said he was still searching for reliable distributors to sell to.

“The fabric is very handy and can last for up to three years but should always be rinsed thoroughly after being used,” he said.

Parker said he had  conducted several demonstrations on how to use the machine and the latest training was held at Viviran Village in the Toma in Gazelle district.

He added that he had seen people in the Autonomous Region of Bougainville develop the extraction of coconut to produce oils and soap.

Parker said the locals there had bought 50 machines and were already well ahead in the production of coconut oil products.

In Nissan, Parker said, one man was able to produce 20litres of coconut oil in one day after having bought the machine.

He is appealing to the government, companies and individuals to encourage, especially people in the village, to purchase the product.

Parker said that with the machine, families would not have to go through the burden of paying for products like soap, oil and other products which they could easily make.

He said he was still searching for reliable distributors and retailers that he could sell the machines to.

However, he said the sale of the machine and fabric should be at reasonable prices for families and those living in the villages to afford.

Parker said that there were a couple of hundred machines available with him if anyone was interested in purchasing one for their families.